


cries like thunder

by seemeeimbeebee



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Cuddles, Fluff, Thunderstorms, maybe a tiny bit of feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-28
Updated: 2014-05-28
Packaged: 2018-01-26 22:50:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1705487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seemeeimbeebee/pseuds/seemeeimbeebee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During a thunderstorm, Jefferson learns that his disappearing act hurt Grace much more than he thought it had. Post 2x03.</p>
            </blockquote>





	cries like thunder

Jefferson wakes up first. The rumble of thunder has his attention and a moment later the door to his bedroom flings open. He barely has time to sit up before Grace clambers up into his bed and curls up against him. “It’s just the thunder, little rabbit, we’re okay,” he murmurs soothingly into her hair. He holds her head gently against him, humming softly to her. He wants to drown the thunder out, so his Grace could fall back asleep. Even if he wanted to tear the skies in two to make her shake like that. “What’s wrong?”

“Don’t leave me, Papa,” Grace whimpers into his neck. His heart breaks at the feeling of tears against his skin, and her plaintive sobs.  He’s lost for words for a moment, feeling incredibly guilty that he caused her all this pain to begin with. “Please don’t leave me again. I won’t ask for any presents. Just stay with me, Papa. You’re all I need.”

“I won’t leave you,” Jefferson whispers into her hair. He holds her tighter to him, lying back against the pillows. Her little hand has his shirt gripped in her hand. Her knuckles are white from grasping it so fiercely. “It wasn’t about the gifts or anything. You can ask for all the presents you want. I’m sorry I left. I will never leave you again, all right?”

“Promise?” she asks softly. The grip on his shirt is still as tight as she can manage as it worries him. He’s afraid that maybe she’ll break her fingers or something, trying to keep him close. But he’d never leave her again. Nothing in the world could make him leave his daughter’s side ever again.

“I promise,” Jefferson answers softly. He places his hand gently on the back of her head to press her close, hoping that it’s some comfort for the time they’d been apart. He places the other hand on her little one, hoping it’ll unclench slightly. Outside, the wind keeps howling and the thunder keeps rumbling.

Jefferson feels like he’s been doing a lot of hoping for Grace’s sake since they’ve been reunited. Hoping that she’d forgive him. Hoping that her adoptive parents, Gabrielle and Jean-Michel, would let him take her back. Hoping that everything would be the way it was supposed to. It was hard being a parent again after not being a parent for what felt like a lifetime. “I love you so much,” he reminds her because he wasn’t sure what else he could do.   
  
“I love you too,” Grace whispers, looking up at him. She gives him a tiny smile. He presses a kiss to Grace’s forehead, before resting his chin on her head. The hand clutching at his shirt unfurls slightly. Grace tucks her head against her Papa’s shoulder again for a few quiet minutes. Jefferson is more than content to stroke her hair and press an errant kiss or two into her scalp. Grace doesn't even flinch when the thunder rumbles.

“That’s my brave girl,” Jefferson whispers softly. His eyes start to close, more than content to fall back asleep with his daughter in his arms. He’s almost asleep when she speaks again.

“I had a nightmare,” Grace finally explains. His eyes flutter open so he can look at her, and make sure that she understands that he’s as attentive as he always was. She looks exhausted, as if she’s moments away from sleep herself. “That I woke up in this house and you were gone again. But this time, even the evil Queen didn’t know where you were. I ran to look for you, but I fell down a hole, a rabbit hole, and I tumbled all the way down. Then I woke up, and I was by myself in my room. I got scared that maybe my dream was true.”

“I understand why you’d be scared. You have a very good reason to be afraid. I made a promise and I broke it and I’m sorry,” Jefferson murmurs, pulling the covers up around them. He presses another kiss to her forehead. “I can only hope you’re not angry with me. And I can tell you that I will always be here for you. I will always be there to catch you when you fall. I’m not going anywhere ever again. I’m gonna be right by my little girl’s side for as long as I live.”

He pauses, taking a breath. He can’t promise that, realistically. Things happen all the time, and goodness knows how long it’d be before Regina or Rumplestiltskin came for his services again and threatened Grace. “But,” he continues softly. “In the worst case scenario, if something does happen…there will be people who love you very much. Gabrielle and Jean-Michel love you too. And I will always be with you.” Jefferson taps her nose.

“Don’t talk like that, Papa?” Grace begs softly, still keeping in close. “We’re going to live happily ever after together. No more evil Queens or Dark Lords. Just you and me, as it always should’ve been. I’m not angry, Papa. I’m not. I forgave you a long time ago. Just don’t go, Papa. Please.”

“I just wanted you to know that no matter what, you’ll never be alone,” Jefferson replies, hating himself for making things worse. He feels like an awful father for putting that worry and fear into her voice. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you more afraid. Everything’s going to be all right.”  
  
“I know they love me,” Grave tells him quietly. “I know they do. They were kind and good people. But they’re not you. You’re my Papa, and no magic can change that.” She swallows and admits, “When I remembered…and the town was freed from the curse, I didn’t see you. I thought…I thought…” Tears come to her eyes and she rubs them away. “I thought you’d died, Papa. And I didn’t know what to do.”  
  
“I didn’t die,” Jefferson soothes. The enormity of all that Grace had been through finally hits him. In his madness, he’d suffered, but he had never stopped to think that maybe Grace suffered too. “I’m right here, Grace. I’m sorry I let you think that.” She buries her face in his shoulder and continues to cry while he whispers reassurances into her ear that of course he’s alive and of course he found her, he was always going to come back to her no matter what. She cries herself to sleep soon after, and Jefferson holds her in a protective embrace. He’s definitely not letting his little girl go now, not for anything.   
  
When the sun rises, he’s still in bed, holding Grace. He leans over to pick up the phone to call Grace’s school to say she won’t be coming in today. He won’t tell them why because frankly it’s none of their business. His poor little girl needs this day to rest. She’d been through so much, more than he ever realized. So he’s going to take care of her because that’s what fathers do.

He calls Doctor Hopper to schedule an appointment for Grace, because he realizes that he can’t soothe her fears alone. Jefferson knows he’s not a bad father by asking for help. It’s just another way that he can take care of her. When he hangs up, he looks down at Grace and ponders for a moment what they should have for breakfast.   
  
“Mushroom omelet,” she mumbles into his shirt and he smiles.

**Author's Note:**

> Gabrielle and Jean-Michel are two characters from the currently running Broadway production of Cinderella.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this little piece!


End file.
